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Genetic predilections and predispositions for the development of shamanism
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 April 2018
Abstract
Singh's cultural evolutionary theory of shamanism provides a valuable framework for understanding shamanism. We argue, however, that a full understanding of shamanism should incorporate the psychological predilections and genetic predispositions commonly found in individual shamans. In other words, only a small subset of individuals in a culture is prone or attracted to shamanistic practices, regardless of the evolutionary value of those practices.
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- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018
References
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Target article
The cultural evolution of shamanism
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Author response
Why is there shamanism? Developing the cultural evolutionary theory and addressing alternative accounts